The Las Vegas Raiders won’t have a concrete idea of who is going to be on the roster at the start of the season until they get to training camp. However, they should already have a good idea of which quarterbacks will be on the team.
No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins aren’t going anywhere this season. Mendoza is the quarterback of the future, and Cousins’ contract is guaranteed for this season.
The other two quarterbacks on the roster right now are Aidan O’Connell and undrafted rookie Jacob Clark. It remains to be seen if either of them has a chance to make the active roster.
O’Connell played well in OTAs, so that’ll help his chances of staying on the team. Clark is a project, so his ceiling is likely a spot on the practice squad. The Athletic’s Sam Warren put together a 53-man roster prediction, and he believes Clark will be the odd man out in the Raiders’ quarterback room.
O’Connell Could Still Get Traded
It’s not a surprise that Clark is expected to get cut. He wasn’t a big name coming out of college, and his ceiling is being a long-term backup.
O’Connell is a more interesting player to watch this offseason. He has started in 17 games and played well. He hasn’t proven he can be a dependable starter, but he’s shown some potential that a team might want to take a chance on.
Warren floated the idea of the Raiders possibly trading O’Connell, but also wouldn’t be surprised if they kept him for insurance.
“The door is open for the Raiders to move O’Connell, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the timing makes sense if they can secure assets for him before cutdown day,” Warren wrote. “However, the Raiders are adamant about moving slowly with Mendoza, and if Cousins were to play poorly or get injured, O’Connell could provide a safety net that would keep Las Vegas from forcing the prized rookie into action before he’s ready.
“While keen on competing, Las Vegas’ main goal this year is to develop its future franchise quarterback. Retaining O’Connell ensures the process won’t be disrupted, even if it’s not in line with his goals.”
Real Question Is Who Will Start in Week 1?
O’Connell isn’t completely out of the starting quarterback race quite yet, but it’s a very long shot that he’ll actually have a chance to beat out Mendoza and Cousins. There’s going to be a lot of people who want to see Mendoza play as soon as possible, but Cousins is a proven starter who has worked with head coach Klint Kubiak in the past.
Mendoza is still dealing with some rookie growing pains, so Cousins is the favorite right now. The Raiders want to start the veteran, so Mendoza is going to have to very clearly outplay Cousins in training camp. If he can’t definitively win the quarterback battle, the Raiders will likely favor Cousins. That said, Mendoza should get a chance to play at some point during the season.
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